Apparatus fob arranging looped



Aug. 7, 1951 H. G. HAGER APPARATUS FOR ARRANGING LOOPED ARTICLES Filed Feb. 5, 1949 bands.

Patented Aug. 7, 1951 OFFICE AIPARA'rUs FOR ARRANGING LoorED l ARTICLES:` I Hans. G. Hager, Akron,

` B; F. Goodrich Compa corporation of New York Ohio, assignerl to The ny, New York, N. `Y.,`a.`

` Appueation February 3,1949, seria1No.`74,s75

This invention relates to apparatus for arranging looped articles and is especially useful in arranging rubber bands or similar articles in orderly groups of predetermined size. The invention is an improvement on the apparatus of the Charles C. Cadden Patents Nos.' 1,578,392 and 1,578,393.

Apparatus constructed in accordance with the Cadden patents has been found verysuccessful in the sorting and grouping of elastic rubber Certain difficulties have, however, been experienced in the use of such apparatus. In the construction of those machines, the conveyor screws, designated by the numeral 38 in the Cadden patents, were each cradled between three spools or rollers 39 whereby they were rotated. As the rollers 39 were on fixed axes, it was necessary that the conveyor screws 38, which were coiled from spring Wire, be very accurate in dimensions. It was found extremely difiicult to provide screws of the desired accuracy and to maintain their dimensions in use. Out of a large quantity of such screws, it was found necessary to discard a great many screws out of each quantity received from vthe maker.' 'j

It is an object of the present invention to provide for use of feed screws of arange of diameters.

Other objects are to provide for quick removal and replacement of the feed screws, to provide means for releasing tension of the guide rollers against the feed screws, and to provide against starting of the machine when replacement of feed screws is being undertaken.

These and other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front view of that part of the apparatus which includes the feed screws and their supporting and driving mechanism, parts being broken away,

Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a detail View thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I designates one of the side frame members of the lapparatus which supports a pair of parallel cross plates II, I2 which extend across the delivery side of the machine from one side frame member to another and are inclined to the vertical. The cross plates II, I2 are formed with notches I3, I4 at intervals to clear the feed screws I5. Each lfeed screw I5 has a central screw portion I6 having at least one tapered shoulder and axially extending terminal portions Il, I8.

`5 claims. (c1. zii-"1) Each feed screw I5 is supported between vtwo fixed rolls 20,.2I and a movable roll 22. All of these rolls are shrouded to retain the feed screw` and have gears 23 integral therewith for driving them. The r'olls are mounted in bearings supported by cross plates II, I2. l

For driving the rollers a shaft 25 is journaled in a bearing 26 orframe member I0 and is driven from any convenient source by a chain 21 and sprocket 28. The shaft has a bevel gear 29 fixed thereto which meshes with a similar bevel gear 3U. Gear 30 is integral with a gear 3l which meshes with gear 23. Idler gears 32 similar to gear 3| are rotatably mounted between the feed stations and with the gears 3l complete a train of gearsfor driving all the feed screw supporting rolls.`

The movable rollers 22 are each rotatably mounted upon levers 36 which have pivot bearings 31 coaxial with the gears 32 with which they constantly mesh. The arrangement is such that the rollers 22 are driven in any position they assume. Each lever 36 is urged in a counterclockwise direction as seen in Figs. 2 and 4 by a tension coil spring 38, one end of which is secured to the lever and the other end of which is secured to the cross plates II, l2.` The arrangement is such that the roller 22 presses against the feed screw I5 at al1 times andthe feed screws may vary in diameter.: x

For manipulating the levers 36 when it is desired to release the feed screws each lever has an upstanding handle 39. These handles extend through a sliding member 40 of ladder-like construction mounted for horizontal movement along cross-members II, I2, bearings 4I for guiding the member being mounted at intervals along plates II, I2. The rungs 42 of the ladder-like slide member clear the handles 39 by an amount permitting variation of diameter of the screws of 1A" and the ladder-like slide, which is urged to the right as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, by tension coil springs 43, 44, is latched in normal position as seen in Fig. 1 by a pawl 45 engaging a stationary stop 46 on the cross frame members II, I2 pivotally mounted at 4l on a rung of the slide. The pawl keeps the slide in such position, when latched, that the rungs allow only limited movement of the levers 36 such as will accommodate variation in the diameters of the feed screws but will prevent their dropping out in case they become clogged with rubber bands. When it is desired to remove a feed screw, the slide is unlatched and coil springs 43, 44 move the slide to the right, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2 permitting greater movement oflevers 36. An upstandinc handle 48 fixed to siide 4u permits manipulation of the slide.

For unlatching the pawl 45, a lever 50 is pivot.

ally mounted on a one stringer of the slide 40 and has a pivotal connection 5l with the pawl. The free end of the lever 5U extends through a clearance slot in the cross frame member Il.

A safety gate 60 is pivotally mounted on a rod Bl extending across the apparatus. This gate must be lifted for access to slide 4l) and in its lowered position protects the operator from the.. mechanism just described. A plunger operatedV switch 62 is connected electrically in the circuit. of the motor which drives the apparatusV .andis mechanicaly located beneath the gate 60`with its plunger contacting thegate and closing its cir- A cuit. The arrangement is such thatA when the driven, spring means for urging said third roller toward the bight of a pair of said xed rolls, a slide member having a stop for limiting movement in said direction, a latch mounted to hold said slide member in a position limiting movement of said lever to an extent insuilcient to retowards thebightlof a pair of said xed rolls,

gate is lifted to permit release of the latch45, themotor stops the rotation of the rollers and gears.

f The invention permits use. of screws l5 having variations inY diameter, insures driving ofi the screws, and'permits theirv removal, while atgthe Sametime protecting the; operator.

Variations' maybe made without departing from the scope of theinvention as it is deiined by the following claims;

` I claim: Y

1`. Apparatus for arranging looped articles of the' type inl which feedV screws of coiled wire are'cradledbetweenvdriving rolls, said apparatus comprising pairs'of `driven rollsv mounted on fixed axes, movable spring pressed rolls cooperating with` said pairs ofV rolls for resiliently` holding the feed screws thereagainst, means limiting movement of' said spring'pressed rolls to an extent insuflicient to release said feed screws when the apparatus is in use, quick-acting release/and return means forshiiting saidlast named means a slidemember having a stop for limiting movement in said direction, a latch mounted to hold said slide member in a position rlimiting movement ofsaidY lever to an extent insuflicient to release said feeds'crews, and means for releasing 'said` latch toV permitreplacement of said feed screws,

'and meanspreventingrelease of said latch when saidrolls are being driven.

5. Apparatus forsupporting and rotating a coil type article conveyor, said apparatus comprising three driven'rolls contacting said conveyor about its perimeter, one of said rollsl being movable-.tmv

to a positionV permittingv removal of said feed Y screws by permitting greater movement of said spring pressed rolls. A'

2. Apparatus asd'efined by claim 1 including means rfordriving saidspring pressed rolls' in any position thereof.

3." Apparatus *for* arranging looped'articles of the typein whichl feed-screws of coiled wire are cradled` between driving rolls, said apparatus comprisingpairs oftdriven rolls mounted on x'ed axes,; a4 lever' pivotally mounted and rotatably supporting a thirdroll, all of said rolls being ward and away from the other rolls to release said conveyor, meansV urging said movablev roll toward-saidcther rolls, and means limiting movement of said mcvableroll away from said other rolls, said last named limiting means comprising' a movable member and a latchrholding said movable vmember in a position-to limit movement of' said movable roll, and quickactingreturn means forshifting said movable member to a positionV permittingremoval of said'conveyo'r upon release of said latch. Y

' HANS G. HAGER.

REFERENCESl CITED The followingpreferen-ces are of record in the fue of this patent:

UNTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,578,393 caddenet ai. Mar. 3o, 192s 1,713,678Y SeibertV May 21, 1929 

